DC Collectibles Injustice: Gods Among Us Batman Vs. Joker Review

I’ve always bought into the notion that the villain makes the hero. No Luke without Vader. No X-Men without Magneto. And, for my money, the best example: no Batman, without Joker. That’s probably why I wanted the DC Collectibles Injustice: Gods Among Us Batman Versus the Joker two pack so badly, and I’m glad I got it.

The figures came out alongside the fighting game Injustice: Gods Among Us. It’s available for Xbox 360, PS3, and now some phones. From the little I’ve played, the game is pretty fun.

The Joker is wearing his classic purple suit that I identify with him thanks to Batman: The Animated Series. (Though, my favorite Joker is Heath Ledger’s from The Dark Knight.) The Batman has got a grey (I believe to appear metal-plated) suit with a purple stripe on the mask, wrists, and knee pads. Both characters look very much like the character designs from Injustice: Gods Among Us, which isn’t surprising because they were released with it.

They come in window box packaging, so as I’ve noted in the past could easily be displayed if you decide not to open them. It comes with the background of the Watchtower level from the game. It looks awesome, but doesn’t go with either character. I’m guessing that’s because DC would like us to have to buy every to get every levels. Not a bad plan, assuming that the figures deliver.

The other noteworthy part of the packaging is the artist, Robert Lynders, being listed on the side. It’s hard to say if that’s something DC is pushing to seem higher grade or something Lynders is pushing to get his name out there. Either way, I’m with it. Why shouldn’t individual artists get credit for the toys the make? Todd McFarlane is great, but he’s not the only toy sculptor that deserves credit.

Out of the box, the figures are a bit underwhelming. I likely feel this way because my Joker’s head fell off the first time I turned it. I snapped it back on (it’s a ball joint), but I’m still not happy about it. I’d read these figures were fragile, but I’ve heard that complaint about enough figures that I had no problems with that I hadn’t believed it. Now I do.

Other than the head immediately popping off, Batman’s cape came folded in half. I’m not happy about that either, but it’s pretty easy fix. I lay him on his back over night and now it’s kinked (it’s plastic, rather than felt) but going like it should be.

The only accessory is Joker’s bazooka, and it’s awesome. What separates it from your average toy rocket launcher is the painting of the eye and teeth on the end, that pretty closely resemble the Joker’s lips. I’d have liked a batarang or two, but I don’t think they’re a big part of the game, and these came out with it. It wouldn’t be fair to ask for things from outside the game.

While I’m on the paint of the bazooka, I’ll talk about the paint of the figures as well. Batman is ninety-five percent right, except the paint goes a bit outside the lines on his knee pads.

I’d put the Joker at an even 95% percent too. Some of the white from his face snuck into the green of his hair. What’s really working well though is his face’s dirty appearance. The Joker getting soot all over his white makeup just makes sense. The same goes for the dirt on his button down shirt.

Whatever I have to say against the figures, I need to say, they’re extremely articulated. They’ve both got:

• ball joint heads
• swivel and hinge shoulders
• swivel upper arms
• hinge elbows
• swivel wrists (only Batman
• swivel hands (only Joker)
• two torso hinges
• ball joint hips
• swivel and double hinge knees
• swivel ankles
• hinge feet

There are a ton of points of articulation. The lower torso hinge on both figures is extremely hard to move, and an eyesore. The Joker’s suspenders block his hips a little. Other than those two minor complaints, these two can really move.

In terms of sculpt, they’re both great. Some little details that are great on the Batman are the little spikes on his wrist, the way each piece of armor is elevated and not just painted, and the bat on his chest. The Joker’s got his left hand out for a slap, which I love. The sculpt also really captures his insanity in his face. The suspenders hanging around his hips are also a great touch.

These figures are almost exactly 3 and ¾ inches. It’s a problem, if like me you want to create a shared universe with your figures. Most figures in the 3 and ¾ inch scale tend to be actually closer to 4 inches. Here’s a picture of them next to some other figures in the scale.

Overall, these figures are a mixed bag. They are, without the shadow of the doubt, too fragile to give to kids. They’re a little small to fit in with other 3 and ¾ inch figures, which is a big concern for me. Taken on their own, they’re extremely poseable, but also fragile. They’ve got a lot of great small details, but also some small mistakes on the paint. I do think they’re a lot of fun (C’mon, it’s Batman versus the Joker), but I’d say buy them at your own risk, especially with the price point close to $30.

Hahahahahaha.

If you’re interested, you can get them from Entertainment Earth for $27.99, Amazon for $23.95, or you can try your luck on eBay.

UPDATE: These figures are sold out on Entertainment Earth, but are still available at the Amazon link above. You can also always scoot on over to eBay and search for the Injustice: Gods Among Us Batman and Joker action figure two pack.